Question 327Safety & Environmental - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is D) Sway. Sway is the lateral motion of a vessel, which directly affects its lateral stability. The governing stability for a vessel is its ability to resist the lateral motion induced by external forces, such as winds and waves. Sway is the motion that causes the vessel to move side-to-side, and this motion has a direct impact on the vessel's overall lateral stability. The other options, such as surge (fore-and-aft motion), heave (vertical motion), and yaw (rotational motion about the vertical axis), do not directly affect the lateral stability of the vessel in the same way that sway does.